Memories of a Bleeding Angel
by CrazyCharlette-Real Reloaded
Summary: Mitsume remembers the various life-changing events that have shaped her life, and the people that accompany them. From the Third Hokage's death to Sasuke's departure and frrom Gaara's capture to the Fourth Great Shinobi World War, she closes her eyes and lets the memories take over.
1. Introduction

**Oh, blah. Look at me. I go away for like seven months or something and I come back with a Naruto fic and a cramped neck (totally irrelevant XD).**

**Written in first person, but the rest of the story will be third person.**

**Kishimoto owns Naruto, I own Mitsume and several others and possibly a few jutsus.**

* * *

It hurts to think about Konohagakure without feeling a stab of regret in my stomach. The clan may have provided great success for the village, but the only thing the Leaf will remember the Uchiha Clan for is blood.

So much of it has stained the clan. Deft hands make quick cuts that spill small beads of that precious substance, strong slashes greedily bite into flesh and stain the ground red, twitches of fingers slip toxins into harmless beverages that cough up splotches of crimson... One way or another, it's all bloodshed.

Having said that, I'm no exception to that fact either. Many have fallen by my hand, bleeding from the wounds on their body, from the snapped nerves in their necks or with blue faces from a lack of enough oxygen. I've never liked killing. Not one bit. It's useless; lives are wasted, hearts are broken and it stains people's hands forever.

Ever since he witnessed the Third Great Shinobi World War, Itachi became a pacifist, never intentionally hurting anyone. There were exceptions, of course, but my foster brother was just about the kindest and most gentlest man I had ever encountered. I looked up to him and admired and respected him, always striving to be a great shinobi like him. I knew for a fact that Sasuke always trained to emulate him, too.

That all changed on the night of the massacre.

I remember it so clearly as if it was last night. I had returned from a late training session with my sensei and team members, who were all men. Dog-tired and exhausted to the bone, I was looking towards nothing more than a warm bath and a good sleep. My legs automatically carried me through the streets of the Uchiha's mini-village. I never noticed how quiet and empty the streets were, and what lay on them, and it wasn't until the clouds parted over the moon and the ground shone red did I realize.

I ran with the burst of energy that was granted to me by the sudden, horrible sight and towards the house. Along the way, I desperately shrieked out the names of the Uchiha I knew and checked on the houses and shops. I was always rewarded with bloody corpses and stained hands from the blood I unknowingly collected and each corpse had me shaking. Stepping out of the last house I had checked upon, I made a mad dash for my house, only to see a sight that had me just about ready to collapse and scream my heart out to the night.

My dear little Sasuke was standing in front of the man I respected most, a few kunai in Sasuke's little hands. He had unmissable tear stains on his face and a small tear on his left shoulder and his posture just wept sorrow and rage. Itachi, on the other hand, stood with the cold indifference of a true shinobi and a silent, unreadable aura surrounding him.

My senses weren't exactly razor-sharp after my grueling training session earlier, but I had enough energy to realise that the clan's murderer was none other than Itachi. At first, I refused to accept that fact. But as the seconds passed, I acknowleged that no-one else would have the sheer skill to pull off such a deed. And it just simply tore me apart, knowing that one simple fact.

Sasuke gave a shrill yell before running towards him, throwing the kunai out towards him. With the proficiency of a true Uchiha, they were all easily deflected and sent clattering to the ground. The rusty red that stained the katana grasped in the hands of Itachi only confirmed my suspicions and I felt as if my heart had been grasped by a demon and ruthlessly torn out of my chest.

Sasuke then gave a strangled sob before crashing to the ground, and that was when I lost all control over my body. I gave a scream of, "SASUKE! No!" and bolted down the street, my focus on nothing but the little boy that lay unconscious on the gravel.

Reaching him and kneeling down, I was aware by now that tears were streaming down my face and hitting the ground. Placing my ear to his chest, I was so glad to hear the steady beating of his heart. Giving a choke of relief, I wiped the tears away and stood up and turned around to face my elder brother.

His eyes were still Sharingan, that much I knew, but with a different pattern. Red with three curved black bars extending from his now-red pupil. Based on the information about the Sharingan I had gathered from the clan's texts, that strange new Sharingan was undoubtedly the Mangekyou Sharingan. Having said that, I had also read about the necessary requirements for the next level of the Uchiha's kekkei genkai.

I figured that the clan's massacre wasn't the trigger for the Mangekyou. He seemed too sure of himself with the Mangekyou for that to have happened, and mastering it in less than an hour was an impossible feat, even for him. So then I flicked through the memories in my mind...and that was when it hit me.

"Y-you really did kill Shisui!" was the first thing that was torn from my throat in a howl. He seemed slightly taken aback, but his face resumed its normal expressionless mask. "You lied to me and the clan! How could you? He was your best friend!"

He smirked slightly. "So you figured it out simply by seeing my Mangekyou Sharingan, eh? I'm proud to call you my sister...your intelligence is truly a great thing."

"I'm not proud to call you my brother," I seethed, fists curling up into quivering spheres of tightly clenched flesh. The nails pierced my palms with a stabbing sensation, and the warm trickling of blood cascaded down my fists and onto the ground with small plops, adding to the pools of blood already spilled on the ground. "Especially since you betrayed the whole clan and the trust of your people!"

"And what shall you do about it?" he coldly asked, eyes watching my every move.

"...Nothing."

The answer certainly surprised him, as his Mangekyou flew open in shock at what I had just said. "You heard me. I'll do nothing...for the time being."

His orbs narrowed, awaiting further explanation. I took a deep breath and wasted not a single puff of air on the explanation that just streamed out of my mouth.

"Considering that you slew the whole clan single-handedly, awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan and possibly the three techniques granted by it, I am in no position to make a move. Suicide is emminent, and as far as I am concerned, that is _not _what I plan on being dealt to me. Instead, I'll just simply bide my time and wait, until the perfect moment arrives..."

A sneer curved onto Itachi's lips, and he stared down at me. I may have seemed bold and cunning on the outside, but my mental state was anything but. I felt so helpless; so insignificant next to the cold-blooded man in front of me, piercing my own orbs with ones that reflected nothing but scornful hatred and a blazing need for power. I had never seen such a gaze before, and it terrified me to no end. I wanted nothing than to collapse alongside Sasuke, but I knew that option was out of the question. Instead, I braced myself for whatever was ruthlessly thrown at me.

"And then?" he drawled, raising his brow.

"And then you'll die."

His sneer remained. His eyes closed, and his body started to quiver incessantly. It took me a few seconds to realise that he was silently _laughing._

"What is it that's so funny to you?" I growled, clenching my fists tighter and feeling the blood flow more freely down my hands.

"Oh, nothing really. Apart from the statement that you believe you can kill me," he sneered scornfully. "I suggest you leave that part up to Sasuke."

A gasp was forced out of my mouth. "What do you mean by that?"

"You possess the Sharingan...but those eyes were transplanted into your sockets merely because you had been blinded by the time when you were rescued by Father. You cannot rise to the next levels of our kekkei genkai...but Sasuke can.

"He is a true member of the clan. You see, I merely butchered our clan to test my limits. This clan has been corrupted by power for a very long time...and that corruption has thoroughly tainted the name of Uchiha. There is no way of cleansing it...apart from total annihilation. So I performed that deed and cleansed the name.

"In doing so, I've made Sasuke hate me. He now wishes to kill me and avenge the clan." He smirked, a corner of his mouth lifting upwards. "It's actually a good thing, believe it or not. He will grow into a strong opponent...but by the time he does, I shall be even stronger, and when he faces me, I shall have a suitable challenge for me to fully exert my powers."

The devilish smirk that crossed his face terrified me so badly that I felt all of my previous bravado turn to ashes and crumble. There was no way that this cruel person could have been the loving shinobi that had watched over Sasuke and taken me under his wing. There was just no damn way.

"Don't you see, little sister?" he crooned, spreading out his hands in a grand gesture to conclude his own explanation. "It's all for my own benefit."

And that was the point when my will snapped. In a split second, my feet had left the ground and touched down near his feet and stuffing my hand into my holster, I drew it out and hurled numerous shuriken at him.

He easily deflected that, and I hurled another wave at him. He too batted that away with unblinking eyes, and a wave of kunai with explosive tags on them was headed his way. Leaping into the air, with the natural grace of an Uchiha, I too jumped up and clashed with his sword.

The kunai in my hands trembled under the force that Itachi had put into his stroke, and I pushed away and formed several hand signs. He made some of his own; they matched mine sign for sign.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Our fires clashed, though his giant orb of fire was significantly bigger and more powerful than my steady stream of flames. To compensate for that, I quickly formed hand seals, relying on the fire to hide my signs.

"Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!:

Cutting off the stream of fire from my mouth, Itachi's fireball loomed and threatened to fry me alive, and a sudden deluge of water burst from my mouth. It smothered the fireball and extended into a high wave, and it crashed down onto the spot where Itachi was.

He had leapt out of the way and onto a nearby rooftop, staring down at me. His lips tugged into an appreciative smirk. "You have great potential, Mitsume...it's a shame that I have to kill you."

That gave me the biggest shock of my life. Kill me...? No way. But the way he said it... It just resounded with truth and evil.

And that was when I think that I lost all self control. No, scratch that, I_ knew _that I lost it. My legs buckled and I fell onto the ground, clawing at the ground in a frenzied attempt to relieve my stress. My body shivered uncontrollably; tears rushed down my face and splattered onto the gravel and a shriek ripped itself from the back of my throat. I was reduced to a sobbing mess, broken by the harsh words that had been spoken by the one person I trusted most.

He seemed slightly taken aback by my reaction. I'm not entirely sure what happened next, but I'll try and remember what I can.

He disappeared and reappeared right behind me, sending my nerves into a total meltdown. But instead of the cold kiss of metal I was expecting, soft lips pressed themselves on my neck. Needless to say, I was absolutely shocked. And then I felt something drip onto my skin.

Itachi was...crying?

"I'm sorry," he quietly murmured, sorrow and guilt replacing the harsh cruelty that had previously been laced in his tone. The only thing that ran through my mind was _What the hell just happened to me?_

"You don't have to forgive me," he continued, more tears slowly leaking from his eyes. "Just-just keep Sasuke safe, please?"

A shaky sob was wrenched from me and the tears fell more freely than ever. "I...I will."

And the next thing I knew, I felt something on the back on my neck and the world spun into darkness. The last thing I saw was his tear-stained face.

I suppose that I should try and remember my life. As I lay here, I don't really have anything else better to do. Let's see... Ah, just about when the Third Hokage was killed and Itachi and Kisame had 'visited' the village. I was in Konoha's life then, but I suppose that is when I really started to get involved...

* * *

**Decided to stop here because I need to watch some episodes of the first part to fill my writing juices again...**

**Bye for now!**

**-CC and co.**


	2. Funeral

**You know the drill. Kishi owns his OCs (aka Naruto) and I own mine and this plot.**

* * *

He gave himself a once-over in the mirror and heaved a sigh, before slowly walking out of the bathroom. Sasuke combed his hand through his hair and sat down at the kitchen table, absent-mindedly playing with the black cord around his shirt and waist. So much had happened yesterday; it was hard to believe that it actually occurred. First the start of the invasion of the Sound and Sand ninja, then Gaara's transformation into Shukaku, Naruto's sudden boost in power and then the Third Hokage's death. As much as he didn't really pay attention to the old man, Sasuke felt a deep pang of sorrow in his gut. A death was a death, no matter how much you knew the person.

He was too immersed in his thoughts to hear the other pair of footsteps in the apartment. A hand placed itself on his shoulder, and he jerked. A soft, feminine chuckle resounded in his ears, and he calmed down upon hearing the voice.

"A lot has happened, hasn't it?" Mitsume lowly asked, taking a seat next to him. He wondered when she had come back; the Hokage had assigned her to a solo mission in the Land of Lightning that was supposed to last for at least two months or so.

"Yeah," he shortly replied, accepting the cup of tea that was pushed towards him with a nod. "When did you come back? You weren't supposed to be back until a few weeks later."

"Things were easier than I had expected," she answered, taking a sip from her own cup. "I got back last night at around midnight; Kakashi filled me in on everything. It's not easy to accept that Orochimaru made a deal with the Sand to invade Konoha."

He pressed his lips together. "Yeah...I guess so." Then he glanced at the still-healing wounds on her face. "What happened?"

"A few scuffles," Mitsume easily replied. "Nothing bad; I managed to escape with the information I was sent to discover." Standing up and giving him a quick peck on the forehead, she collected their cups and placed them in the sink. "Let's go. The Third's funeral is today."

The Uchiha siblings left, exiting and locking the door. Sasuke sauntered out and towards his waiting teammates, and Mitsume was quick to follow.

Naruto and Sakura caught sight of them, and sent her a wan smile. With a look that said _I'll talk about everything later, _Mitsume walked onwards, pausing and staring up at the ever-darkening clouds.

A gust blew by, stirring up scattered leaves and tossing them carelessly everywhere. They all paused, and Sasuke continued on, making Naruto and Sakura hurry and catch up to him.

Mitsume continued to stare up at the sky, nut brown eyes reflecting the grey clouds. She had left with the assurance that the old man would still be alive and kicking, only to return and find out that her superior was dead. She closed her eyes before opening them again and trailing the younger shinobi in front of her.

* * *

The funeral was solemn and mournful, every villager of the Leaf in attendance. Rippling surges of mourning and gloom caked the atmosphere, as the Leaf froze and silently paid it's respect to the late Hokage. No-one dared to speak; the silence was filled with unspoken words that fulfilled that need.

The clouds began to cry as well, the raindrops splashing onto the ground in mourning for the Third. It was fitting; a heavenly cascade of tears for a heavenly man and the heavenly people who willingly sacrificed their lives for the Leaf.

"It's raining," Kurenai quietly murmured, Asuma glancing up at the clouds.

"Even the heavens weep," he agreed. _Why wouldn't they?_

"We are gathered here to remember and honour not only the Third Hokage, but all those who sacrificed themselves in this battle, so our whole village would survive," Homura gravely began, his voice low with sorrow.

The shinobi listened on with heavy hearts, heads bowed in respectful sadness. This death had affected them all, ninja and civilians alike. The man that had died protecting them was held dearly in many hearts.

Everybody grieved in their own way. The few ANBU that had been unable to do anything but watch on held a deep sense of regret and guilt for not being able to do more, and Kakashi was at the Memorial Stone, looking at the countless names engraved on the polished stone.

One by one, everybody stepped forwards and placed a flower on the Third's coffin, the snowy white petals laying on the stone. Each was placed with deliberate care and respect, not a single person having no special thoughts placed within the delicate flora.

Naruto watched on, azure eyes dampened and dulled with grief. _Why... Why did it have to happen? _he silently asked, wanting an answer to the question they all asked. _Why did someone so good have to die? Why?_

He glanced sideways, seeing the slouching figure of Konohamaru weeping openly. The boy's pain was especially great; his grandfather had died and there was nothing he could do about it. His body was rocked with sobs, gasps of pure grief escaping his lips and his tears dripping onto the ground.

Iruka gazed down at him and stepped forwards, placing a hand on his shoulder. He knew how he felt; he knew all too well. He had a flashback to a year after when the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha had been stopped, and his parents' names engraved on the memorial. He had been sobbing and crying just like Konohamaru was now, his heart cracked and torn apart by this sudden loss. The Third had come up to him and reassured him, instilling in him the concept of the Will of Fire. Closing his eyes and remembering the memory, Iruka played that scene over and over, never forgetting it once. Opening his eyes and crouching down, Konohamaru whipped around and wept into his arm, Naruto gazing down at them with a mixture of sadness and sympathy in his sapphire eyes.

* * *

Kakashi continued to gaze solemnly at the memorial, registering the female presence behind him. "Are those for Hayate?" he quietly asked, referring to the bouquet Yuugao held in her arms.

She wordlessly walked forwards, knowing that he already knew the answer. He continued, saying, "Better make it quick. The Third Hokage's funeral already has begun."

"And you, Kakashi?" the purple-haired woman asked, placing the bouquet on the memorial. "Paying respects to Obito? Instead of inventing new excuses for coming late, why don't you come here earlier?" She knelt down, placing her hands together in a quick prayer.

"I did," he gruffly said. "I've been here since dawn."

Yuugao rose, glancing back at him. Dawn...? Well, it was no big surprise. He had been left with nothing but memories of his former team and the Sharingan that resided in his left eye.

"This place makes me think of the mistakes I've made in the past," he admitted. "And I've made so many of them..."

A short distance away, Jiraiya looked on, a small chuckle rising in his chest. His mind wandered back to days when he was still young and he had just been initiated into Team Hiruzen. The memory of not being able to grasp the bells stood out most, where Hiruzen had sternly looked down at him while Jiraiya simply glared on. His mind flipping through various memories, the white-haired sage leant on the wooden stake and thought, recollecting those memories when Orochimaru was still a Leaf ninja and Tsunade was still flat-chested, to his amusement.

* * *

_It's a shinobi rule, _Naruto silently thought, in line to put a flower on the coffin. _To never show your feelings... Keep your mind focused on your mission, no matter what; no matter how you're hurting inside... You can't shed a tear._

The genin placed their flowers down, each one remembering fond memories with the Third all the while. It was hard to forget...and they never wanted to forget what the Third had left behind.

The rain had ceased, but a few fat droplets still fell, dotting the concrete with wet splashes. The Third's face on the Hokage Monument seemed to wisely gaze down at the mourners, a stern yet gentle look in the carved eyes.

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto quietly asked, causing the chuunin to glance up at him. "Why do they do it? Why do people risk their lives for other people?"

The chuunin pondered this, looking up at the genin. He blinked, before turning to face the front. "Well... When someone passes away, it's the end. His past and future... All the dreams he once had, they disappear along with him. This is true; even if he dies honourably in battle, as so many have; as Hayate did... All the ties that bind him to the living are severed. All but one; the most important of all: people. Parents, siblings, friends, lovers, the people who were important to him... And these people, the ones left behind, are joined together in a great circle, by their shared memories of him. A circle of friendship, and trust and sacrifice, that grows larger and stronger as time passes... It's hard to explain it. We remain in the circle together. We have no choice. It's important to us."

Naruto took this all in, listening to every word uttered by Iruka. He faced the front, mouth set in a understanding line. "So we do it because we have to... I get it. Sort of." He looked at the framed photo, the picture of the old man gazing back at him with his usual piercing stare. "Still... I'm sad he's gone."

"Think how sad it would be if he died for nothing," Kakashi interrupted. "But he left us something priceless..."

The blonde glanced back at him and slightly cocked his head.

"Don't worry. You'll understand one of these days."

A smile flickered over the wan features of the Uzumaki. "Hey, give me some credit; that much I get."

Sakura, who had been standing next to Sasuke, looked skywards and her eyes widened. "Hey, the rain... It stopped."

The Uchiha male beside her glanced upwards. She was right; the clouds were parting and letting the blue through and the sunshine beam down on the mourners. Mitsume smiled at the change in weather; it was a sign of good things to come.

* * *

"Bye Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cheerfully said, waving. "See ya later!"

"Alright, then," he grinned, waving back at the genin. He turned around and rushed towards his team and Mitsume, making the chuunin smile.

_Do you see, Lord Hokage? _he mentally asked, a smile still on his face. _The Will of Fire is stronger than ever. The sparks you left behind have kindled the flames of the young leaves of the next generation. A mighty flame, Lord Hokage. It will burn brightly, and it will shine it's light upon our village, and keep it warm and safe for many years to come. And out of that new flame will come a new Hokage..._

Naruto came to a halt, grinning at his team. He looked at Mitsume, before bursting into a multitude of questions.

"How was your mission? Was it fun? Was it super-duper boring? Did you succeed? Was it a failure?" the blonde excitedly asked, looking up at the teen. She laughed, ruffling his hair before giving it a playful tug, which elicited a yowl from him.

"These kind of missions aren't all fame and glory, Naruto," she chided, a stern tone worming its way into her voice. "I don't just walk out of it unharmed and perfect, you know. You get mementos of that mission... Mementos like this." Pulling up her sleeve, Mitsume displayed a large, spidery scar that extended from mid-bicep to her wrist. Naruto inhaled sharply, gazing at it in admiration. "I got it from a particularly angry Kumo shinobi that happened to use a variety of Lightning jutsu. A few landed on me."

"It must have been a pretty powerful one to have caused such a scar," Sakura mused, looking at it.

"It was."

"Hey, we're going to have ones like those when we reach jounin level," Sasuke blankly stated, glancing at his team. "I know that Kakashi has a few, too."

"True, true," he lightly said, nodding. "There's no ninja that doesn't have any."

"Anyway, I'll tell you all about it over a bowl of miso ramen," Mitsume said, starting to walk. "I'll pay."

"YESSSS!" Naruto whooped, jumping up and running over to her. "You're the best, Mitsume!"

She laughed again, a fond smile crossing her face. She looked over her shoulder and back at Team 7. "Come on, guys!"

* * *

The tinkle of the ornaments drifted on the wind, sending their light melody onto the ears of the two men. They gazed down at Konoha, their black and red cloaks flapping in the wind.

"Well, it survived," the taller of the two murmured. "But barely. The damage is extensive..."

"Not long ago, it was at the height of its glory," the shorter stated, scorn laced in his voice. "Look at it now..."

"Hm. You sound almost sad," Kisame mocked, a teasing tone evident in his voice as his beady eyes flickered towards his partner. "Don't tell me you still have feelings for your old home?"

"No," was the sharp answer from Itachi. "None." The ornament tinkled again as he lifted his head, Sharingan filled with disdain and hatred peeping out from underneath the hat.


End file.
